Councillors urged to block plans for permanent travellers site

A travellers' site of Grove Lane, Somersal Herbert, which is currently subject to a retrospective planning application by John Varey

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Councillors are being urged to vote to uproot a family of travellers who have set up home on an established site in a village near Ashbourne, following strong opposition from locals.

Derbyshire Dales District Council is currently obliged, under its own local plan, to find a site for travellers in the district, but a family that has set up without planning permission in a field off Grove Lane in Somersal Herbert could be told to return the land to how it was if councillors vote to turn down their application to stay.

The councillors will meet in Matlock on Tuesday to discuss a report by planning officer Andrew Stock which spells out the objections by Somersal Herbert Parish Council, Highways officials, Environmental Health and Peak and Northern Footpaths Society.

On behalf of residents, Somersal Herbert Parish Council's response called the site "over sensitive and secretive".

The Grove Lane entrance to the site

They also said the application for five mobile homes, eight touring caravans, and future development of four "amenity blocks" was out of proportion to the surrounding area.

Derbyshire County Council's Highways Department said the application would cause problems on Grove Lane because of its "substandard access" and the Environmental Health Team said the site, which is directly above the A50, was too noisy.

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In support of the application, by Mr John Varey, Derbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group says the family that has moved onto the land traditionally "resorts to the south of Derbyshire" and they have care and educational needs for their children.

The group also pointed out that, because the Watery Lane site in Ashbourne has been taken off the table for converting to land for travellers, there are now no sites identified in the Derbyshire Dales.

"A windfall site such as this, where the families are now providing for themselves, is now a bonus", the group says.

Several caravans and sheds are already in place

The Derbyshire Dales Local Plan, which was adopted in 2017, obliges the district council to provide a minimum of nine gypsy and traveller pitches between 2013 and 2019.

Through a long, exhaustive and expensive search for land for another traveller family, the Gaskins, the council has so far failed to find a permanent site and that family is currently being moved around temporary tolerated sites in the hope land will soon become available.

But in his report, Mr Stock argues the family's application did not give enough detail about the applicants to explain their connection to the Derbyshire Dales specifically.

He also points out that, while the site is screened from the road by trees, it can be seen from a footpath and by a cluster of houses to the south of the site.

He wrote: "It is considered that the proposed change of use of the former green field has resulted in an intrusive form of development within the open countryside well away from the nearest settlement that harms the openness of the site resulting in a detrimental impact to the character of this part of the countryside."

The site is obscured from the road by trees

And in conclusion he wrote: "There is a demonstrable need for Gypsy and Traveller pitches within the Derbyshire Dales to meet the future requirements of the gypsy and traveller community and the provision of four pitches will make a significant contribution towards ensuring that the Gypsy and Traveller needs are met in the Derbyshire Dales.

"However this needs to be balanced with consideration as to whether the development proposed on this site is suitable having regard to its location in terms of sustainability, its impact on the character and appearance of the local landscape, whether the development would result in a significant loss of amenity for residents of neighbouring properties and the future occupants of the pitches and whether there would be any adverse highway safety implications."

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He concluded that the site would be too far away from local amenities, it would be an intrusive development in the countryside and would contravene a string of policies, including policies specific to traveller sites.

The application has been recommended for refusal.

If members agree to follow the recommendation, the applicant could appeal the decision.

Ultimately, if the appeals fail, an order could be made to return the field to its original state.